Regenerator or fuel vaporizer for internal-combustion engines



F. T. ARMSTRONG. REGENERATOR 0R FUEL VAPORIZER FO R INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, 1921.

' Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

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Gnome 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

FRANK 'r. ARMSTRONG, on DETROIT; lvIIGl-ITGAN, ASSIGNOR or ONE-THIRD 'ro GORDON B. SAYRE'AND ONE-THIRD TO ROBERT D. ivnsnrrr, :BOTH or nn- TROIT, MICHIGAN.

REGENERATOR OR 'FUEL VAPORIZER F OR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK T. ARMs'rRoNG, citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Regenerators or Fuel Vaporizers for Internal-Combustion Engines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such'as will enable others skilled in theart to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,

This invention relates to a regenerator or fuel vaporizer for internal combustion engines. n n V I I The direct object of the invention isfto prevent condensation of thevapor from the. carburetor and thereby insure unifornimixture while a further'object is to accomplish this result without preheating the incoming gas and air mixture to such a pointthat the efficiency of the engine is lowered.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds the invention further resides inthe arrangement and combination of partsand in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed without departing from the spirit ofthe same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a regenerator that embodies'features of the invention shown in connection with a source of fuel supply and an engine manifold; and

Figure 2 is a view in section through the generator with parts shown in elevation, taken on or about line 2-2 of Figure 1.

. As herein shown in preferred form, a substaritially cylindrical outer casing 1 encircles a portion of the intake manifold 2 of the gas engine. An ignition chamber 3 is secured over a side opening of the casing 1 and as a matter of good. mechanical design acts also as means for clamping the expanded end portion l of a choke tube 5 in the casing so that the tube, the. inner part of which is provided with perforations 5 is substantially radial to and directed against the enclosed part 2 of the engine manifold.

An expansion head 6 is screw threaded or otherwise suitably secured in the upper end Specification of Letters Patent. Pgttielltefl A1131. 25,1922. .Application filed May 18,

1921.. serial No. 170,579.

8,- opens into .thebore of the. expansion head 6. y

This fuel connection is arranged to be supplied through a conduit 10 from any source; .of supply. which will deliver vaporized gasoline or a very fine stream vof liquid gasoline to the expansion head and in this instance, is shown connected toa device 11 thatis arranged with .suitable jetting devices therein not forming perse-a part of this invention. 5

A spark plug 12 of the usual type is inserted in a suitable lateralnipple 13 of th e ignition chamber 3 and is connected with the ignition system of the engine in such way as to provide a spark continuously across theterminals L lof the plug when the engine is in: operation. That portion. of the manifold 2 surrounded bythe casingyis pro vided with a plurality of openings 16 remote from=the tube 5.;.the tube. 5. acts as a torch nozzle and directs a jetof flame againstthe manifold tube. Backfire is prevented by insertion of a wire gauze screen 18 orthe like in'the chamber and as a matter of good .mechanical construction, this is clamped in place by the. expansion head 6. a In .operation the fuel which is indrawn into thedevice fromthe vaporizing supply by the piston action of the engine in the usual manner, is ignited by the terminals of the spark plug and a torch flame thereby directed against the manifold while the ex-- haust gases of combustion pass through the restricted openings in the manifold wall opposits the torch flame.

It will be readily be seen that the manifold 2 will be heated to a very high temperature. This is desirable as it is one of the features of this invention and prevents the mixture in the manifold 2 from being greatly heated. This is accomplished by the fact that when liquid gasoline is coming in contact with the inner walls of the tube or manifold 2 it is very rapidly vaporized which forms a blanket of expanding gas all over the inner surface of the tube and prevents the bulk of the mixture from coming in contact with its wall.

of manifold or tube 2 becomes red hot, the

mixture passing through it can not be ignited as only gasoline gas is in contact with its inner wall and no airis'mixed with this gas to support combustion.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is l. A regenerator for an internal combustion engine comprising a casing'adapted to envelope the intake manifold of an engine and provided with a torch 'no'zzledirected toward the manifold within the casing,an ignition chamber mounted on the casing for which the torch nozzle is an outlet and provided with an expansion fuel inlet, and ignition means in the chamber for firing the fuel passing therethrough. I

2. A regenerator for an internal combustion engine comprising a casing'adapted to envelope a portionof the intake manifold of the engine, an ignition chamber mounted on 7 the casing, a torchnozzleextending from'an outlet of the chamber intothe casingtoward the manifold, an expansion head forming a fuel inlet to the chamber, and means for maintaining ignition of the charge passing through the chamber.

3. The combination of a source of fuel supplyand the intake manifold-of an engine, with a regenerator consisting ofa casing adapted to envelope a'portion 'of the manifold; a torch nozzle in'the casing directed toward themanifold, ain'ignition chamber in the casing for which the nozzle is a-noutlet, means in the ignition chamber for igniting fuel passing therethrough and'an expansion head connected with the source of fuel supply and 'arrangedto deliver fuel into this chamber.

4. The combination-of an intake manifold of a gas engine and a source'of fuel sup-ply with a casing adapted to envelope a perforated portion of the manifold and provided with a torch nozzle directed toward an imperforate port-ion of the manifold within the-casing, an expansion fuel head adapted to deliver fuel vapor fromthe source of supthe nozzle is an outlet, an expansion 'head forming the inlet to the casing and having direct connection with the source of fuel sup ply, ignition means in the chamber between the head and nozzle and a safety screen between the ignition means and the outlet of the expansion head.

'6. The combination of the source of fuel sup-ply and apartiallyperforated portion of an engine manifold with a casingenveloping the perforate section of the manifold, a torch nozzle inserted in the casingand directed toward the imperforate portion of the manifold, an 'ignitioncha'mber secured on the casing forwhich the nozzle is a fuel outlet, an expansion head forming the fuel inlet'to the chamber and having connection with chamber 'and'arranged to be connected with v the ignition system of'the engine.

In testimony whereof, Isign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses g S. E. THOMAS, JNo. "CONSIDINEQ FRANK 'r. ARMSTRONG. 

